The Dark Island. (Three Thieves; Bk. 6). Scott Chantler. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2016. 114 pp., pbk. & hc., $8.95 (pk.), $17.95 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-894786-56-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-894786-55-3 (hc.). Subject Heading: Graphic novels. Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12. Review by Tara Stieglitz. **** /4

excerpt:

“We’re trapped!”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you three!”

“Dessa...! Look!”

“Greyfalcon.”

The Dark Island is the fifth book in Scott Chantler’s “Three Thieves” series of graphic novels. It picks up where the last instalment, The King’s Dragon, ended, with Dessa and her friends, Topper and Fisk, arriving at the mysterious floating island of Astaroth in search of Dessa’s long missing twin brother. Dessa and her friends explore the island, discovering a group of kidnapped children, all heirs of various kingdoms. The reader also discovers that the island is somehow connected to Dessa’s own confusing and shadowy past. In this volume, a parallel story introduces the character of Dessa’s brother, Jared, who gets kidnapped again only to find that the people who kidnapped him may not be quite what he assumed them to be.

      As with the previous books in the “Three Thieves” series, The Dark Island is exciting and full of intrigue. Scott Chantler does an excellent job of creating a sense of mystery around the characters and their past, leaving the reader eager for the next volume. The series also does a good job of creating ambiguous villains. As with the previous book, the reader continues to gain insight into some of the villains, learning that they may not be as villainous as first assumed. It’s refreshing to find a story where the characters are not concretely good or bad but are, instead, nuanced with their own conflicting motives and backstories.

      The Dark Island, an excellent addition to an already great series, will appeal to fans of fantasy and adventure stories.

Highly Recommended.

Tara Stieglitz is a librarian at MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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